WBC, IBF, WBO Light Heavyweight Title Fight Betting Preview: Artur Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith Jr.

Betting analysis and a best bet for Saturday’s light heavyweight title fight between the heavily favored Artur Beterbiev and Joe Smith Jr.

Author:
Doug Vazquez
Publish date:
Jun 16, 2022

Three of the four light heavyweight titles will be on the line inside Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater on Saturday night.

Artur Beterbiev (-800) is a massive favorite at SI Sportsbook going into this bout against Joe Smith Jr. (+560). Beterbiev is one the most dangerous light heavyweights in recent memory, going 17-0 with a 100% win-to-knockout ratio.

Smith (28-3, 22 KOs), his opponent, has been very successful as of late, winning four straight since his last loss against WBA light heavyweight champion Dimtry Bivol.

With a possible unification fight with Bivol looming for the winner, the stakes are extremely high for both boxers. A Beterbiev loss would be an upset for the ages, while a Smith loss would drop him to a contender on the bad side of title considerations.

Bet on Beterbiev-Smith at SI Sportsbook

Sep 27, 2014; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Artur Beterbiev (red trunks) and Tavoris Cloud (black trunks) box during the first round of their light heavyweight NABA championship fight at the Bell Centre. — Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

WBC, IBF, WBO Light Heavyweight Title Fight: Artur Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith Jr.

Date: Saturday Jun 18, 2022
Location: Hulu Theater at MSG | New York, NY
Main Card: 9 p.m. ET
Main Event ring walks (approx.): 11 p.m. ET

Card

Jahyae Brown vs Keane McMahon – Super welterweight
Wendy Toussaint vs Asina Byfield – Super welterweight
Robeisy Ramirez vs. Abraham Nova – Featherweight
Artur Beterbiev (-800) vs. Joe Smith Jr. (+560) – WBC, IBF, and WBO light heavyweight titles

While always placing a bet on the underdog in a title fight can be enticing, the odds in this one are just way too much for Smith to overcome.

I expect Beterbiev to come out with a controlled pace and look to cut off the ring and keep Smith on the edges, peppering him with jabs and calculating Smith’s timing.

As the fight enters the mid-to-later rounds Beterbiev will have just done too much to break down Smith in the early rounds and I expect him to find an opportunity to get a stoppage somewhere in the 8-10 rounds.